1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to trays or tables which are mountable on a vehicle's steering wheel. More particularly, the present invention relates to such steering wheel trays or tables which are portable and suitable for use as a surface for writing, use for laptop computers and other such uses. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to steering wheel mounted trays or tables which extend outwardly from the plane of the steering wheel.
2. Background
Many jobs require the employee to spend a significant portion of his or her time outside of the office at or near his or her vehicle. Even when not working, a number of people sit in their vehicle to view various sporting and other events (such as their child's sport practice) and attempt to get work or other activities accomplished. Much of the work being done by the employee, spectator or others requires or can be better accomplished with a flat, sturdy surface. For instance, writing notes, reports or letters is better accomplished with a flat, sturdy surface. Other activities, such as paying bills, completing forms and drawing, are also easier and better to do on a flat, sturdy surface. The use of portable computers for work or personal activities is also better accomplished with a flat sturdy surface.
3. Related Art
A number of related art devices attempt to provide the benefits needed to accomplish the tasks described above, as well as other related tasks. A number of these patents describe various configurations for steering wheel trays. Most of these patents describe steering wheel trays that are parallel with the plane of the steering wheel. Examples of this type of steering wheel tray can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,805 to Douglas, U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,988 to Easterly and U.S. Pat. No. 3,051,539 to Montgomery, as well as many others. The devices described by these patents are generally not relevant to the present invention due to the angular configuration of the tray, which limits the use of these devices for writing, laptop computers and other similar uses. A number of other related art patents describe devices which utilize a support portion that lies in the plane parallel with the face of the steering wheel and a tray portion that extends from the support portion somewhat perpendicular to the face of the steering wheel. Many of these describe a tray portion which folds upward into the support portion. Examples of these devices can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,306 to Breuner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,047 to Metcalf, U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,026 to Seibert, U.S. Pat, No. 5,487,521 to Callahan, as well as others. The related art devices described in these patents are generally more complicated, less stable and more costly to manufacture than devices such as those described by the present invention.
Devices somewhat similar to the device described by the present invention are illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,305 to Jacovelli and U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,035 to Clark, et al. These patents generally describe single piece devices that attach to a steering wheel to provide a tray that extends outwardly from the plane of the steering wheel. The Jacovelli patent describes a steering wheel tray which slides onto the steering wheel from the bottom and utilizes an attachment tab that holds the device onto the steering wheel. The present invention is distinguishable from the Jacovelli patent in that it slides onto the steering wheel from the top, does not require any moving parts and utilizes an angular member for the tray to extend outwardly from the steering wheel. The Clark, et al. patent describes a food service tray which is held to the steering wheel by two slidable frame members which extend towards the center of the tray. The present invention is distinguishable from the Clark, et al. patent in that it does not use any moving parts, is comprised of a single, relatively solid piece of molded material and utilizes an angular member to extend the tray outwardly from the steering wheel. The angular member used in the present invention is an improvement over the devices described in the Jacovelli and Clark, et al. patents, as well as other related art, due to the angular direction at which it places the tray. The related art devices generally place the tray directly in the user's lap or at the user's chest level, making the related art trays difficult to utilize for some tasks.
Although the above-described patents, as well as other related patents, describe various steering wheel trays, none of the relate art devices describe, singularly or in combination, a simple to make and use tray that is made of a solid, single piece of molded material that utilizes an angular member to extend outwardly from the plane of the steering wheel. Consequently, a need exists for a steering wheel tray that is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use, yet which provides a flat and relatively strong surface for writing, using a portable computer and other such uses.